Difference Between AngularJS and Angular
Briefly: AngularJS vs Angular
| Characteristic | AngularJS (v1.x) | Angular (v2+) |
|---|---|---|
| Release year | 2010 | 2016 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Approach | MVC / MVVM | Component-oriented |
| Architecture | Controllers, directives, $scope | Components, modules, services |
| Tools | No built-in CLI | CLI for generating and managing projects |
| Performance | Lower | Much higher |
| Support | Deprecated | Actively supported |
Main Differences
Programming Language
- AngularJS: written and uses JavaScript.
- Angular: based on TypeScript (JavaScript extension with types).
TypeScript makes code more predictable, self-documenting and easily maintainable.
Architecture
- AngularJS uses MVC/MVVM: controllers, templates and
$scope. - Angular is built on components and modules — each UI block is isolated, reusable and scalable.
Tooling and Build
- In AngularJS there's no built-in build system — everything needs to be configured manually.
- In Angular there's powerful CLI for generating components, services, tests and running build (
ng build,ng generate,ng serve).
Performance
- AngularJS uses two-way data binding and dirty checking, which can slow down large applications.
- Angular uses unidirectional data flow + ChangeDetectionStrategy, which significantly speeds up rendering.
DI (Dependency Injection)
- AngularJS supports DI, but not as flexibly.
- Angular has powerful DI system at class, module and component levels.
Support
- AngularJS is considered deprecated — Google ended official support on December 31, 2021.
- Angular — actively developed, regularly updated (v16, v17 and beyond).
Example: Different Syntax
AngularJS (v1.x)
<div ng-app="app" ng-controller="MainCtrl">
<p>{{ message }}</p>
</div>
<script>
angular.module("app", []).controller("MainCtrl", function ($scope) {
$scope.message = "Hello from AngularJS";
});
</script>
Angular (v2+)
@Component({
selector: 'app-root',
template: `<p>{{ message }}</p>`,
})
export class AppComponent {
message = 'Hello from Angular';
}
Important:
AngularJS is no longer recommended for new projects. Angular (v2+) is completely new platform, built from scratch.